sprier or spryer
ˈsprī(-ə)r 
; spriest or spryest
ˈsprī-əst
; spriest or spryest
ˈsprī-əst
: able to move quickly, easily, and lightly : nimble sense 1
—used especially to describe an older person
a spry 75-year-old
… his spry libidinous grandfather …—
Stanley Kauffmann
Stanley KauffmannMatthew is getting up in years, you know—he's sixty—and he isn't so spry as he once was.—Charles Keller
Charles Keller
spryly
adverb
… hopping spryly onto a treadmill.
—Heather King
Heather King
Then there's his trumpet playing, which he still does spryly at the age of 82, with its dusty allure intact.
—Giovanni Russonello
Giovanni Russonello
spryness
noun
… he still has a boyish spryness although he's in his late forties.
—Adam Mars-Jones
Adam Mars-Jones
Synonyms
Examples of spry in a Sentence
an older woman who's still surprisingly spry
Recent Examples on the Web
The spry legs that carried him to the Pro Bowl were no more, although the Bears’ head coach, Mike Ditka, did not leave him stationary in the pocket.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 14 Oct. 2024
The 76-year-old King notably offers up some spry elderly heroes, too.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 21 May 2024
Judging by the sporting photos on his campaign website, Kennedy would like to be seen as the virile, athletic and spry choice for the White House.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
Hank, as Kahn calls him, was spry and agile even in his last decade.
—Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spry 
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Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 14 Oct. 2024
The 76-year-old King notably offers up some spry elderly heroes, too.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 21 May 2024
Judging by the sporting photos on his campaign website, Kennedy would like to be seen as the virile, athletic and spry choice for the White House.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
Hank, as Kahn calls him, was spry and agile even in his last decade.
—Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spry
Dictionary Entries Near spry
Cite this Entry
“Spry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spry. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spry
adjective
sprier or spryer
ˈsprī(-ə)r
; spriest or spryest
ˈsprī-əst
; spriest or spryest
ˈsprī-əst
spryly
adverb
spryness
noun
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